Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Wednesday told the Senior Counsel appearing for Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra that he would look into the petition challenging her expulsion from the Lok Sabha.
The matter was earlier mentioned by Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Moitra, before a Bench headed by senior-most judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul as the CJI was heading a Constitution Bench.
However, Justice Kaul refused urgent hearing on the matter, indicating at his impending retirement on December 15.
Justice Kaul said that the CJI should decide on the matter as it was not right for him to decide at this stage. He added that the matter be mentioned before the CJI this afternoon.
The matter was later mentioned before CJI Chandrachud, who asked Moitra’s counsel to send an email.
The CJI was told by Senior Advocate Singhvi said that Moitra, who was a Member of Parliament, has been expelled and it would be good if the matter could be listed tomorrow or day after.
The CJI asked for sending an email for his perusal. Singhvi said that it would be done.
On December 8, the Lok Sabha passed a resolution to expel Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra from the membership of the House based on the report of the Ethics Committee over ‘cash for query’ complaint.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had written to the Lok Sabha Speaker stating how Moitra had put forth questions in Parliament on behalf of business tycoon Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for cash and gifts.
It was also claimed that these questions were related to the Adani Group which is a competitor of Hiranandani.
The complaint by Dubey finds its roots from a letter he received from Jai Dehadrai, who had filed a complain to the CBI stating to have some irrefutable evidence that Moitra took bribes from Hiranandani.
As per the claim made by Dehadrai, Moitra gave complete access to her online Lok Sabha account to Hiranandani, who misused the same to post Parliamentary Questions of his liking. As per the claims, these questions consisted of 50 of the 61 questions that Moitra has asked.
A notice was earlier sent to Dubey, Dehadrai and several media organisations by Moitra. The Trinamool MP had refuted all the allegations and said that the allegations are false and designed to curry political mileage and to extract a personal vendetta against her.